Organising Your Kitchen

Choose the slow and minimal way of living by heading to your local produce store and refill shop to restock your kitchen this month. Fruity Roots and Earth-Kind Refills have your back when it comes to your weekly shopping list and these kitchen organisation tips should help you cut down on single-use plastic and unnecessary clutter.

It is all too easy to close the door on your cupboard or pantry door and forget about it, but what if I told you that you could be saving money in the long run and helping to reduce waste. A well-organised kitchen is trending rapidly on social media and we are here for it! Although having a neat and tidy kitchen with no single-use plastic insight has far more benefits than just social media popularity.

Let’s run through the benefits of an organised pantry.

1. Saves Money – You are more likely to eat the food if it is presented nicely and in air-tight containers which means you won’t need to head to the shops as often. Some products and food can be bought in bulk, ready for you to refill at home which works out cheaper in the long run.
2. Encourages you to refill instead of replacing – Take your empty reusable jars and containers to EarthKind Refills located on the Broadway in Plymstock to cut out single-use plastic and packaging completely.
3. Reduces food waste – You’ll spend less time fixated on those ‘use-by’ dates as you will be able to clearly see the quality of the food through the container.
4. Reduces stress – Everything is visible which means you won’t need to spend time hunting down any ingredients. Grab yourself a label maker to make it even easier!
5. Encourages healthy eating – All of your food will be easy to grab which means you will be more tempted to reach for the porridge oats or diced strawberries instead of a chocolate bar. Organising your pantry will make you more aware of the foods you stock in your home, if you are noticing there are more sugary snack options compared to healthy foods, then maybe it’s time to switch up your shopping list too.
6. Saves time – You will be able to visibly see how much is left in the containers so you can plan your next shop efficiently.
7. Looks aesthetically pleasing & organised – You will want to continue to refill your food containers because it simply looks great! No ugly packaging and oversized boxes insight!

To re-organise your whole kitchen will take time, so start section by section to avoid getting overloaded. Firstly, you’ll need to group your foods together into categories as you would see in a supermarket. For example; Rice, pasta and pulses go together, dried fruits and nuts, and then flour, sugar and baking powder.

Make a list of all the items in your pantry/ kitchen cupboards and what size containers they need to be stored in. Don’t be afraid to clean out any old jam jars and food containers – reusing is always better than buying new ones! The majority of herbs, spices, sauces and oils tend to be already packaged in handy, reusable containers so there is no reason why you should decanter these and throw out the old bottles as that will cause more unnecessary waste.

Storage options: Avoid reusable plastic if you can and opt for Glass, silicone, stainless steel or bamboo. Coordination is key to the most aesthetically pleasing kitchen cupboards. Baskets are also a brilliant alternative for hiding away any packaging to keep your kitchen looking neat and tidy.

Whilst you decanter the items into the storage containers, make sure you label the contents and date them to avoid mixing up similar items. You can even put your fresh fruit and vegetables in storage containers for the fridge. Dice up and prep the produce before so that it saves time later. Make sure the containers are air-tight to prevent the food from browning too quickly.

To avoid food waste, place the newest items at the back and the older items towards the front. Place the foods that you usually reach for every day towards the front, with the less frequently used items at the back for easy access. You will now be able to see when you need to pop to the stores to refill your jars.

Earthkind Refills

Earthkind Refills, located on the Broadway in Plymstock is a zero-waste shop with groceries, personal care and household items ready to be filled into your new jars. With over 500 eco-friendly products available, including; loose beans, nuts and pulses, refillable cleaning liquids and personal care items, there’s something for everyone. Bring your jars along with you to be refilled or buy one of their jars to add to your collection.

Become a member and receive 10% off across all products every time you shop! https://earthkindrefills.co.uk/

Fruity Roots

Here at Fruity Roots we hate waste and plastic! Daily deliveries from our Wholesalers mean we can keep stock to a minimum and reduce any wastage of food. That, coupled with our ‘Reduced to Clear’ areas mean we have very little food waste, with many items going for 39p or 99p (any cauli leaves or bruised apples etc. feed many happy guinea pigs and chickens!).

Are we more expensive than Supermarkets? Honestly, in some cases, yes. However, our produce is so fresh that it lasts so much longer, saving waste and money in the long run. You can buy single items as and when you need them (so you can buy only one carrot, one parsnip and one leek for that recipe you have found).

Some customers of ours plan their weekly meals, buying only what they need with zero wastage and zero plastic. Our produce is sourced locally where possible, so come and see us in store, meet the team and see what else we can surprise you with. Like our page on Facebook or visit our website to find out more. https://slkfruityroots.wixsite.com/mysite